Confutation of the Quakers, Section 5
SECT. V. The Quakers corrupt the Doctrine of Juſtification.
THe Doctrine of the Juſtification of a beleeving ſinner before God, is one of the moſt precious and comfortable doctrines of the Goſpel, tending exceedingly to ſet forth the riches of Gods free grace, and magnifie his juſtice to ſupport and comfort wounded conſciences; to take away boaſting from man, that all may glory in the Lord; and to fill the heart with joy and peace in beleeving: And therefore the devil hath by his inſtruments in all ages, laboured to corrupt the ſame. He ſtirr'd up falſe apoſtles in the firſt plantation of the Chriſtian faith to pervert it, againſt whom the Apoſtle Paul in the Epiſtles to the Romans and Galatians diſputes earneſtly, teaching we are juſtified by faith, and not by works; by faith receiving the righteouſneſſe of another, not by works wrought in or by our ſelves. In after ages the Papiſts were the great ſubverters of this doctrine, who had ſo corrupted it, that no part thereof was left pure and undepraved by them; till the Lord of his mercy raiſed up Luther and ſome other Worthies to vindicate it; and indeed the corruptions of this doctrine were the great and eſpecial cauſe of their firſt ſeparation from Rome, and there was nothing that the Spirit of that precious man was more drawn out to clear, then that very doctrine, as may appear by his writings. In the ſteps of thoſe enemies of the truth the Papiſts, do theſe generation of Quakers now ſo exactly walk, (as to the perverting of this doctrine of Juſtification) that they ſcarce differ an hairs breadth from them, holding forth the old Popiſh doctrine in the very ſame terms, as will appear in the following particulars.
1. The Papiſts deny Juſtification to be a judicial act of God whereby he accounts us righteous (though ungodly in our ſelves, Rom. 4.5.) through the righteouſneſſe of Chriſt, performed in his own perſon for us, imputed to us, and received by faith alone; but make it to conſiſt in the infuſing or putting in righteouſneſſe into man, and ſo confound Juſtification and Sanctification, making them one and the ſame thing. So Bellarm. the Jeſuite, l. 1. de Juſtif. cap. 1. And ſo the Quakers: J. Nailer love to the loſt,See Sauls errond to Dam. p. 12. p. 3. pleads for our being made righteous by Gods putting in righteouſneſs into us, and by righteouſneſs wrought in the creature; in the ſame page, line 4. he explaines Gods imputing righteouſneſſe to be his putting it into the creature; his words are theſe, [righteouſneſs is freely imputed or put into the creature] where let the Reader ſee the groſſe ignorance of a man that pretends to be infallible, making [impute, and put in] the ſame, whereas any School-boy that hath but learnt his Grammar, may ſee a vaſt difference between them; the word [impute] not being compounded of [put in, or in put] but coming from imputo, to reckon, account, judge, &c. and ſo the Hebrew word foreign, and the Greek foreign tranſlated in the Scriptures [impute] do ſignifie; can any beleeve this man is infallible in his doctrine, when he is ſo groſſely miſtaken in a word ſo commonly uſed in the Scriptures? See alſo Nailer in the ſame book, p. 50. where he (directly according to the manner of the Papiſts) confounds Juſtification, Sanctification, and Mortification together, and argues for it as they do, though in a more ſimple manner.
2. The Papists (as a conſequent of the former opinion) hold, that they are able to keep the Law perfectly, and to be perfectly righteous, Counc. Trent. Seſſ. 6. can. 18. Nay, If any man ſay that the precepts and Commandments of God unto a man juſtified, and in the ſtate of grace be impoſſible to be kept, let him be accurſed: So the Quakers, Nailer p. 21, 22. of the book before named, and in his book called the glory of the Lord out of the North, p. 25, 26. he argues as hotly for it, as if ſome Jeſuite were at his back to prompt him.
3. The papiſts ſay, by the liberty of the Goſpel, they are altogether freed from ſinne, ſo that it is throughly dead, and not only not imputed, but not alive or having any being in the righteous; they are the words of Bellarmine the Jeſuite, lib. 5. de Juſtif. cap. 6. The ſame thing argues Nailer for; Glory from the North, p. 21. Love to the loſt. p. 21, &c.
4. The Papiſts they exclaime againſt the Proteſtants (who teach they have yet ſinne in them, and are not ſo perfectly righteous as to ſtand before the judgement ſeat of God without the righteouſneſſe of their Surety) and call them painted Sepulchers, faire without, and foule within, leprous perſons in fine cloaths, with many other ſuch expreſſions. See Becanus the Jeſuite, Tom. 2. tract. 4. cap. 2. qu. 1, and 3. So the Quakers, J. Nailer, love to the loſt, p. 4. you make (ſaith he) Chriſts righteouſneſſe a cover to your abominations, &c. Though we doubt not but God will vindicate our uprightneſſe, that we are as conſciencious of walking holily as any Papiſts or Quaker of them all, though we dare not ſeek Juſtification thereby, this the very Papiſts have been forced to confeſſe ſometimes, ſaying, though we had an heretical faith, yet we had Orthodox manners.
Thus we ſee the Popiſh doctrine of Juſtification brought in by a generation of men, that cry out againſt all others as Popiſh and Antichriſtian, when in the mean time they are moſt deeply guilty of it themſelves.
Now that the ignorant may not be deceived about this point, which is one of the fundamental doctrines of Religion. I ſhall cleare up the truth concerning it, according to the Scriptures, in theſe following particulars.
1. He that will be juſtified before the judgement ſeat of Chriſt, and be acquitted and pronounced righteous by the Judge of heaven and earth at the great day of the Lord, muſt be perfectly righteous, he muſt not have the guilt of the leaſt ſinne to be charged upon him; Curſed is he that continueth not in all things written in the Law to do them; this Judg is of purer eyes then to behold any iniquity to approve thereof; he that juſtifieth the wicked is abomination unto him, and therefore he will not do it himſelf, he is perfectly righteous himſelf; his Law is perfectly righteous, he will not be bribed any away, nor reſpect perſons, and therefore they muſt have a perfect ſpotleſſe righteouſneſſe that ſtand before him.
2. Such is the impurity and ſinfulneſſe of the natures, hearts and lives of the beſt men living, that they cannot produce ſuch a perfect righteouſneſſe before God, as that before mentioned; for, beſides the imputation of Adams ſin and diſobedience to all born of him by ordinary generation, every man hath a ſinful nature in him, which, till he be regenerated and converted, doth carry him captive to ſinne daily, 1 Cor. 6.11. Eph. 2.3. Tit. 3.3. And this would condemne him, though he ſhould after converſion live never ſo perfectly, unleſſe the righteouſneſſe and ſatisfaction of a Surety and Mediatour be imputed to him; And after converſion the beſt of the Saints, whoſe hearts are renued, and the dominion of ſinne brought down in them, do not live ſo free from ſin, but that in many things they offend all, James 3.2. and if they ſhould ſay, they have no ſin, they deceive themſelves, and the truth is not in them, 1 John 1.8. they may ſay with Job, how ſhall a man be juſt before God, he cannot anſwer him one of a thouſand, and with Solomon, Eccleſ. 7.20. There is not a juſt man upon earth, that doth good and ſinneth not; which of all the Saints have not ſome blemiſhes recorded, even after the Lord gave them teſtimony that they were accepted of him? Noah, Gen. 7.1. hath witneſſe of God to be a righteous man in a ſinful generation, yet we read he ſinned afterward, chap. 9.21. Job had teſtimony of God to be a perfect man and upright, fearing God, &c. and yet we read afterwards of his impatiency, and he confeſſes his ſinnes and vileneſſe; his perfection was in the ſincerity of his heart, having reſpect to all Gods Commandments, not in his perfect freedome from the being of ſin. David, after he was declared a man after Gods own heart, how ſadly did he fall? and Solomon after he had ſeen God twice? Pauls complaints are known, Rom. 7.24. and Peters miſcarriages not only after his glorious confeſſion of Chriſt, Mat. 16 but after the ſpirit was ſo plentifully poured on him in the day of Pentecoſt, for Gal. 2. Paul charges him for not walking uprightly (in a particular thing there mentioned) and for diſſimulation.
The Quakers object, this is the time of their warfare, and therefore as yet they had not attained to that perfection.
I anſwer, it was after their converſion, after they had more of the grace and Spirit of Chriſt then any proud Papiſt or Quaker now hath; and for their warfare, it's true, it was not over, nor can ours be expected to be paſt ſo long as we are in the body, all the dayes of our life here, are the time of our warfare. Thus for the ſecond particular, ſuch a perfect righteouſneſſe is not to be found in any man living which may ſtand at Gods judgement barre.
3. Such is the goodneſſe of the Lord to poor man, that he hath provided that for him in Chriſt, that he could not have in himſelf, even this perfect righteouſneſſe; when we were found tranſgreſſours before God, and ſo to be condemned; he gives his Sonne to fulfil all righteouſneſs for us; he is made of God unto us righteouſneſs, 1 Cor. 1.30. he became ſin for us that knew no ſin, that we might become the righteouſneſs of God in him; we are made righteous or juſtified by him, as he was made ſinne and guilty by us, that is, imputatively, not inherently, for he had no ſin in him, though he took guilt upon him. What was impoſſible to be found in us, becauſe of the weakneſs of the fleſh, is now found in Chriſt for us, who is the Lord our righteouſneſs, Jer. 23.6.
Now here is a perfect righteouſneſs, he was for his perſon, holy, harmleſs, and ſeparate from ſinners; for his life, there was no evil found in him; he obeyed the Law perfectly, and by his death did ſatisfie whatever the Law could demand, there could not be a farthing more required of him, elſe he had not riſen againe and been releaſed out of priſon, God gave Teſtimony he was well pleaſed in him.
4. But now this righteouſneſs thus wrought in the perſon of Chriſt muſt be made ours before we be juſtified by it, and how can that be? this the Papiſts ſcoff at, ſaying; can a man be beautiful by another mans beauty, or wiſe by his wiſdome? can a malefactour be acquitted becauſe another man is righteous? and Quakers mock at our truſting to be juſtified and ſaved by him that died at Jeruſalem. But this righteouſneſs of Chriſt may as truly be made ours, and we juſtified by it, as ſometimes a debtor is diſcharged by his ſurety or friend paying the debt for him, or a malefactour is acquitted when another undergoes the penalty of the Law for him.
To make this clear, ſomething muſt be conſidered as done on Gods part, and ſomething as done on our part.
1. On Gods part, there be theſe two things done to make this righteouſneſs of Chriſt ours, ſo as we may be juſtified by it.
(1) A mutual compact or agreement betwixt the Father and his Son, that all that Chriſt ſhould be, do and ſuffer, ſhould not be for himſelf, but for us in our ſtead and place, as our ſurety, he died for our offences, he roſe again for our Juſtification. Reade Iſa. 53. throughout; thence is he call'd the ſurety of a better Teſtament, (of the new Covenant) Heb. 7.22. Indeed what need Chriſt do or ſuffer ought for himſelf? he need not have been made under the Law, he need not have died for his own ſins (being holy and without ſinne) but it was for ours, 1 Pet. 3.18. Chriſt ſuffered once for ſinnes, the juſt for the unjuſt to bring us unto God, &c. This was a thing clearly held forth in the ſacrifices of the old Law (which were types of Chriſts ſacrifice) thoſe beaſts then ſlaine, did die in the ſtead of the ſinner himſelf. This compact betwixt the Father and Chriſt is one ground of his righteouſneſſe becoming ours.
2. There's a new law of grace then made, and promulgated by Jeſus Chriſt in the Goſpel unto ſinners; that all guilty ſinners who ſhall in the ſenſe of their ſin and miſery, being under the condemnation of the Law and wrath of God, make out to this city of refuge, to the horns of this Altar, to the obedience and ſatisfaction of this ſurety; and here plead for mercy, diſclaiming all confidence in any righteouſneſſe in themſelves, they ſhall be pardoned, accepted and juſtified; nay, ſhall be more righteous then if they had kept the Law in their own perſons, ſhall more abundantly pleaſe God, He that beleeveth in Jeſus ſhall be juſtified from all thoſe things the Law of Moſes could not juſtifie him from, Acts 13.38, 39. He that beleeveth ſhall be ſaved, Mark 16.16. This Law of grace was enacted by the councel of heaven, and is publiſhed in the Goſpel; this righteouſneſſe is revealed therein, and freely tendred to all that will receive it, and in thankfulneſſe give up themſelves to honour and ſerve their Surety and Redeemer from the ſenſe and apprehenſion of this his love upon their hearts.
2. On mans part, there muſt be (through the mighty operation of the Spirit of Jeſus Chriſt accompanying the preaching of the Goſpel) the obedience of faith to this Law publiſhed; The ſinner being convinced of his own ſin and unrighteouſneſſe, and of the ſufficiency and excellency of this righteouſneſſe of his Surety, and the free tenders thereof in the Goſpel, muſt come in (as with a rope about his neck, with Benhadads ſervants) humbly confeſſing his ſinne and unrighteouſneſſe, accepting of Jeſus Chriſt heartily as his Surety and Redeemer; taking the gift of his righteouſneſſe thankfully, pleading for pardon, juſtification, and life through the ſame, and giving up himſelf in thankfulneſſe to love and ſerve his Redeemer. Now theſe things being done, it's moſt eaſie to underſtand how this righteouſneſſe of Jeſus Chriſt may ſo be ours (though not inherent in us) that we may be juſtified by the ſame: how common is it amongſt men for the debtor to be diſcharged of his debt, and the bond to be cancelled, upon ſome friends paying the debt for him? yea, may not thus a Malefactour be acquitted of ſome bodily puniſhment to be inflicted, if a friend with the conſent of the Magiſtrate ſhall ſuffer in his ſtead? In the way of juſtification ſinful man is much debaſed, and hath nothing to glory in himſelf; the grace of God is highly magnified (which is Gods great deſigne in the work of mans redemption) by finding out ſuch a way to juſtifie and ſave man; and we have more full aſſurance and conſolation, having now a perfect*It is in reſpect of Chriſts perfect righteouſneſs imputed, that beleevers are ſaid in Scripture ſomtimes to be perfect: and in reſpect of uprightneſs of heart, &c. but never in reſpect of any abſolute compleat perfection inherent in them. compleat righteouſneſſe to preſent before God, which the beſt of men could never have found (as before was ſhewed) inherent in them, even after regeneration and converſion. And thus for the clearing up of this great doctrine of Juſtification.
From all this that hath been ſaid, it is moſt evident that the Quakers (as they have another Man-Chriſt, then him the Scriptures preach, and another God then the true God, who is one God in three perſons; ſo they) have another Goſpel, then that which was preached by the Apoſtles, and hath been received by the Saints, and therefore are to be accounted accurſed, though they ſhould in outward ſhew and appearance, ſeem Angels from heaven, Gal. 1.8.
That this doctrine of juſtification is no enemy to Sanctification and holineſſe of life, (as the Papiſts have formerly, and the Quakers do now charge it) ſhall be ſhewed fully in the tenth Section, where we ſhall ſpeak of the doctrine of Sanctification; and prove the Quakers to be ſubverters of the ſame. And thus much for the fifth general charge.